The present invention relates to a device for placing seed into the soil at fixed intervals and, more particularly, to a tool useful in sowing seed, or inserting similar objects, into soil at fixed distance intervals along the direction of travel of the tool.
It is frequently desirable to sow seeds or insert other objects into the soil at fixed intervals apart. One could accomplish this by first creating holes for the seeds at accurately measured intervals and then sowing the seeds. This procedure is, however, highly labor intensive, requiring two passes to accomplish the job.
It is desirable to automate the sowing process so that the holes are dug and the seeds sown in a single pass. However, such a procedure makes it difficult to sow the seeds at constant distance intervals, since the distance between seeds may depend on the speed of travel of the tool and/or on the judgment of the tool operator. It is especially difficult to sow seeds at fixed intervals when the soil is covered by a thick crop overburden.
There is thus a widely recognized need for a device which will make it possible to dig holes and sow seed in a single pass, and which will place the seed at regular distance intervals along the direction of travel of the device.